The little-known Noah was a leap of faith for Comedy Central when he was selected to succeed Jon Stewart at The Daily Show two years ago. He started slowly but has made inroads both critically and commercially, and the network says he's the most popular late-night host among young adults aged 18 to 34.

Noah quipped that it's exciting to know he's under contract for five more years, "or until Kim Jong Un annihilates us all, whichever one comes first."